The King of Kong Review

It may not receive the publicity of a summer blockbuster but if you're looking for an interesting film, you might want to check out, "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters." The 2007 documentary examines the developing rivalry between two players of the arcade classic game, Donkey Kong.

While the idea of watching a film about people playing video games may seem a bit dull, it's actually one of the more engaging documentaries I've seen in a while. You have, Billy, a longtime video game champion who is seeing many of his long held records being surpassed. But he still holds the top score in Donkey Kong along with a rock star status. Enter, Doug, a school teacher who admits to falling short in a lot of aspects in his life. He's become obsessed with beating Billy's high score.

But beating Billy's score isn't just about playing the best game. There are allegations of using arcade machines that have been tampered with, intense rivalries in the gaming world that approaches Shakespearean proportions, and whether Billy is dodging Doug's invitation to compete against him at an event.

Here's a link to a clip. If you can't see the link go to: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3774087449/

There actually is a video game association that oversees the record keeping. I was surprised that members will watch video tapes of other people's games, which last for hours, as a way to verify a score.

I watched the film on DVD and the special features included the revelation that the producers started with the idea of showcasing people who play all sorts of classic arcade video games. But Billy and Doug's story proved so gripping that they decided to focus the entire movie on their conflict.